Artemis Fowl and the Drifter Phenomenon
by Doctor Kaminari
Summary: An unknown enemy has risen and is initiating a plan to expose the People to humanity. Now Artemis, Holly and co must travel from the farthest corners of the Earth to its deepest depths to prevent inter-species war. Sequel to Ark of Triumph. Back in July!
1. Prologue

Ladies and gentlemen, I bid you welcome unto this, a most spectacular and much-delayed event: the sequel to **Artemis Fowl and the** **Ark of Triumph**!

It's been a long wait, I know, but I had to make sure this one is bigger and better than my first; after all, you would have nothing less, right? Exactly.

For helping to make this happen, endless thanks and appreciation must go to Vivian Verbose, my wonderful beta. If not for her, this story wouldn't even be close to what it is now.

Also, congratulations to Selene Appia and AH4EVER, who were the winners of the "Drifter Phenomenon Reader's Cameo Competition"! Your characters will be appearing somewhere in this story, so make sure to keep an eye out!

Now then, let's get the boring essentials out of the way:

**Spoiler Warning: **Spoilers for **The ****Time Paradox**, and everything before that, so beware! I'll also be making references to my first story in this series, so I suggest reading **Ark of Triumph** first, if you haven't done so already.

**Overall Disclaimer:** I do _not _own Artemis Fowl, nor any of his family, associates, and friends. All I own is the plot, and several original characters... Maybe.

Without further ado, let us begin! (why am I speaking like this?)

This particular adventure is set several weeks after the end of **The Time Paradox**...

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**Artemis Fowl and the Drifter Phenomenon**

Book 2 of** The Fallen Acorn Trilogy**

* * *

... All hell is about to break loose…

Everything seems to happen at once for 15-year-old prodigy Artemis Fowl the Second: a mysterious creature appears in his fish tank, instantly followed by a pair of unexpected guests crashing into the Manor. When Artemis discovers incredible truths that only a handful of the People are aware of, he is thrust into a new, incredible world of time and space…

Meanwhile, below ground, Haven is in chaos. Power to everything in the city, from mobile phones to emergency transport, has been cut by a mysterious hacker, and with Foaly the centaur missing, Captain Holly Short has no idea what to do. The evacuation of the city begins, but with terrifying results...

As Artemis becomes more and more aware of the situation below ground, he begins to suspect that the strange creature he crossed paths with is somehow responsible. He must find a way to track down those behind the attacks on Haven, as well as the link between them and the creature before it's too late. But someone else is on the sidelines… Someone who shouldn't exist…

* * *

**Prologue**

Since the 18th century, when writers first toyed with the idea of moving back and forth through time, scientists, philosophers and ordinary people alike have theorized over the possibilities of time travel. Nowadays, it is generally accepted that as of this moment, it is impossible for humans to achieve this feat, as we simply do not understand enough about the universe or how it works to be able to manipulate it. However, it has not stopped people from continuing to come up with new ideas concerning time travel, while others have devised different ideas to counter the previous suggestions.

Artemis Fowl the Second was an individual who fit neatly in both categories, suggesting theories and methods that expanded on those of Einstein and Hawking's, then nonchalantly countering them with equally logical arguments, simply to amuse himself. Unknown to the rest of the scientific community, he had already spotted several errors in Einstein's theories, and had been constructing a scientific model which could, in theory, allow the manipulation of time and space.

However, he had put all that aside after meeting the demon warlocks Qwan and No1, and more importantly, experiencing two trips through time. It had been an eye-opening experience, and new ideas had flooded the young genius' mind in an instant, his imagination running wild at the thought of being able to control the time stream.

But not even Artemis Fowl could have contemplated the possibility of the existence of a natural being who, without seemingly any effort, could simply pop in and out of time and space. It was just too surreal to imagine, and considering the amount of difficulty that was involved with opening and maintaining a time stream (as Qwan was always quick to point out), all suggestions of this nature would have been dismissed immediately, had there been any.

'Ignorant' is not a word usually associated with Artemis Fowl the Second, and yet in this case, there is no other word for it. The mastermind was about to meet the most immensely powerful creature in existence, and unfortunately, the consequences would be dire. Very dire indeed.

He was fifteen years old at the time…

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What do you think? Hey, I know! Why not tell me in a review? ...please?


	2. A Phenomenal Coincidence

I decided that starting off with just the prologue was a bit boring, so I decided to upload this as well. Thank you to jodz92 for the first review of the story!

After a relatively short prologue, here's the substantially longer and better first chapter. Enjoy!

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Chapter 1. –**A Phenomenal Coincidence**

**Fowl Manor  
Dublin, Ireland **

Artemis had recently installed a giant fish tank in his room, following the advice of a psychological journal he himself had written under the pseudonym Dr. Lee Surtime. Several weeks earlier, after an LEP shuttle had deposited him back at Fowl Manor, Holly had called to inform him that Opal had escaped, and that he should be on his toes at all times. The great Artemis Fowl the Second only had the energy to thank her before turning off the communicator.

_Not __**her **__again_, thought Artemis with a scowl, sitting back in his chair. His younger brothers were currently playing with their mother, who had made a full recovery after her supposed illness. Beckett, although initially upset over the loss of Professor Primate, had brightened up instantly when Butler had bought him a replacement later that week, which could stand, pace around like a scientist, and even dance to music thanks to some further tinkering by his older brother. Unfortunately, the villain responsible for the loss of the previous Professor was now on the loose. _When is that blasted pixie going to stop?_

He returned his attention to the fish tank; he found it relaxing to watch his diverse collection of fish, which ranged from guppies to angelfish to Japanese _koi_ carp, swim about. He allotted a few hours each day to let his mind run wild, coming up with ideas and plans for future exploits, all while silently watching the fish. Artemis found it very satisfying.

It was during one of these relaxing episodes when the most peculiar thing happened: he had only closed his eyes for a moment, when he heard a distinct splash come from the fish tank. He snapped his eyes open, and found that the tank had somehow acquired a new member; something that was definitely _not_ a marine creature.

Artemis stood up and stepped closer to the glass for a better look. The creature had a round face, with large, wide eyes, and no other distinguishable facial features. Its body was about the same shape of its head but slightly larger, with two short, stubby legs wiggling beneath it. Overall, its height seemed roughly equal to the length of Artemis' arm, which was diminutive even by fairy standards.

Artemis blinked in surprise. The creature, in addition to being seemingly well at home in an aquatic environment, had a large pair of wings on its back, and its wingspan was twice its height. A small three-fingered hand was attached to the end of each wing, and was using these tiny claws to scratch itself. It really was a strange being, resembling nothing he had ever seen before, apart from perhaps those wretched Pokémon things that seemed to be so popular amongst the lesser members of his age group. Apart from its apparent lack of existing phylum, class, and order – not to mention species – the only strange thing was that it seemed to be _pulsing_, as if it wasn't quite there, and was also constantly changing colour, from red to green to blue, and everything in between. But the strangest thing, stranger than all of the above, was that it was wearing an LEP helmet.

Anyone else may have cooed and awed, commenting on how bizarrely cute this mysterious little creature was. Not Artemis. His first plan of action was to put it in a secure environment where he could study it, and was poised to climb the ladder to the top of the tank, when a deafening crash shook through the room. The shockwave threw Artemis off the ladder, causing him to hit the wall behind the tank with a _crunch_, before falling to the ground.

Having stood up and dusted himself off, he looked at the destruction and groaned; his four-poster bed was completely ruined, as well as the valuable Monet painting that hung opposite. However, all these things were forgotten when he cast his eyes on the source of the destruction.

Artemis was astonished to find a small, modified fairy shuttle in the middle of what used to be his study's northern wall. A slick, matte-black vehicle, it was obviously experimental technology, and the mastermind suspected that few people knew of its existence. Perhaps it belonged to Foaly; he would find out soon enough.

_That pilot could honestly use some work with his landings_, thought Artemis irritably as he straightened his Armani tie.

The door of the shuttle opened, and a pair of familiar fairies stepped out. One was armed with a Neutrino 3000, the other with what looked like lightning bolts snaking around his hands.

"Well, well," said Qwan, putting out the lightning bolts. "If it isn't the great Artemis Fowl the Second. My boy, you do realize what an incredible coincidence this is?"

"Coincidence? Yeah, right," muttered Corporal Grub Kelp, holstering his weapon. "Knowing this Mud Boy, I bet he managed to track down our Rainbow before Foaly did!"

There have been very few times in his life when Artemis had not the faintest idea what was going on, and even then, that was always remedied a few seconds afterwards. This time, however, was very different. Needless to say, he was in shock, and not only at his own ignorance.

"I... have no idea what you are talking about," Artemis admitted with some trouble, collapsing into his swivel chair. "I suppose this 'Rainbow' is in my aquarium, but what is it and how did it get there?"

There was a brief moment of silence, then Grub burst into a fit of high-pitched giggles, collapsed onto the floor, and began punching the air triumphantly. Qwan, however, kept his composure, and looked down with embarrassment at the corporal at his feet. However, even the demon warlock couldn't hide his grin.

"Sorry about Grub," said Qwan apologetically. "He hasn't got half the moral fibre his brother has, but twice as much ego. Of course, knowing something Artemis Fowl doesn't is always uplifting, but still...

"About Rainbow," continued Qwan, trying hard to ignore the giggles coming from the floor. "All we have are a few intelligent guesses by Foaly, and even fewer absolute facts, I'm afraid..."

It was at this moment that Butler chose to make his entrance, kicking the door open with his foot, Sig Sauer in hand, concentration etched on his face. However, Artemis was surprised to find that his old friend was translucent; it was almost as if he were watching a 3D hologram of the manservant walking around his room.

"I see you've taken us out of regular time," noted Artemis, watching in fascination as Butler's form walked around the room, gun in hand. "I thought you needed five warlocks to create a time field?"

"Indeed, but this isn't really a time field," replied Qwan, waving at Butler, who didn't seem to notice. "It's more of a bubble. And because I only stopped time for a second, I can maintain the bubble relatively easily on my own."

"So we're exactly one second out of sync with the rest of the universe?" asked Artemis, smiling. "How very _Doctor Who_."

Grub's giggles had finally subsided, and having picked himself up, wandered over to where they were standing.

"I saw that show once," he said, scratching his head. "Didn't get most of it, to be honest, especially that blue box that flies. Anybody want a drink from the fridge?"

Artemis and Qwan politely declined, and as Grub stumbled back into the shuttle, Qwan continued his story.

"It seems that Foaly happened to stumble across Rainbow during his search for Miss Koboi, tracking a strange radiation trail he'd never seen before; naturally, he'd assumed that it was somehow that irritating pixie's work, but found the creature currently residing in your fish tank instead. He was about to put it to the side and forget about it, but since there seems to be no progress in finding Koboi, he decided to come back to finding out exactly what this creature was."

Out of the corner of his eye, Artemis spotted Butler inspecting the hole in the wall of the study. He had holstered his weapon, and having contemplated something, he quickly turned on his heel and left the room. _I wonder what he's thinking, _thought Artemis, then returned his attention to the warlock in front of him.

"According to the Book, a legendary family of creatures, believed by some to be gods, created the Universe in the beginning of time. Once their work was complete, they decided to leave their creation alone, moving on to a place outside our Universe. All but one. This creature decided to stay and see how its world grew and flourished, occasionally lending a hand in events both important and trivial. It can drift through time and space without consequence, and is immensely powerful."

"And I suppose Foaly is convinced that Rainbow is that creature," interrupted Artemis, standing up and approaching the fish tank. He narrowed his eyes, studying the creature more carefully. Rainbow stared back at Artemis, and cocked its head in what seemed like curiosity.

"Yes, although not at first," answered Qwan, walking to stand beside Artemis. "It was only when he witnessed it completely disappear, along with its trail, that he began to come to this conclusion. Of course, there was no logical reason he should have believed this, but he was too curious to let it slip. So, he fashioned a simple tracking device that picked up this radiation trail, and decided to get someone to help him find this creature."

At this point, Qwan dug into his pockets and brought out a strange-looking piece of equipment. It fit snugly in the warlock's palm, with a small, spherical central piece and three tubular extensions, each about three centimeters long, placed evenly along its circumference. It was made entirely of a translucent material, and contained a tiny, complex circuit board in its centre. The centre was currently glowing a bright red, along with one of the extensions, which pointed towards the fish tank. "Of course, he would need an experienced time traveler in case he was right, so he called me up a few weeks ago with his proposition. Needless to say, my interest was piqued, and here I am!"

"I see," muttered Artemis, rubbing his chin as he took in the new information suddenly thrust upon him. His eyes then fell on the vehicle his unexpected guests had arrived in. "And the shuttle? Another of Foaly's inventions, I presume?"

"Oh yes, Foaly's very fond of this particular model," said Qwan, smiling. He walked towards the shuttle, and patted its nose. "My boy, what you are looking at here is a time machine." Artemis couldn't help but snort in disbelief.

"Impossible," he replied, stepping up beside Qwan. "Not even the People could construct a mechanical time machine, no matter how advanced they may be."

"Well, you are right – to an extent," replied Qwan. "According to Foaly, he began working on this when No1 and I first arrived here. Ever since then, he's wanted to create something that would make it easier and more practical to travel through time, minimizing as many risks as possible. Of course, it would still need to be operated by an experienced warlock such as myself or No1, but should also be relatively simple to bring a passenger on board too.

"So he came up with this beauty. On its own, this is just another light-weight shuttle, albeit one with several modifications, including a very special outer coating. Would you like to hazard a guess as to what it is?" asked Qwan, looking at Artemis, who was already running his hand along the surface of the shuttle.

"I've seen this material somewhere before," muttered the prodigy, racking his brain for the answer. It slowly dawned on him, and in disbelief he turned to Qwan. "This is the material from the time-stop towers!"

"Yes!" exclaimed Qwan excitedly, a twinkle in his eyes. "Pure genius, I have to admit, although not in front of Foaly, of course. This material just happens to be very good at not only emitting time-stream energy, but also reflecting it. So, while on board I can open up a time stream, then with me giving him directions, Grub here can pilot the shuttle through the stream with very few ill effects. There are also batteries filled with magic inside, which I can siphon off to help me. It's all very clever."

Grub, who had been watching the fishes and drinking water while Artemis and Qwan spoke, yelped suddenly, then turned towards the two.

"Have we finished admiring Foaly's gadgets yet?" asked Grub hurriedly. "Because I think we should get going."

"Come now, Corporal," said Artemis, smiling. "You were on the floor laughing only moments ago. What makes you think we should move?"

"Because, Mud Boy," replied Grub, nodding his head towards the fish tank. "Rainbow's done a runner."

Artemis and Qwan spun round on their heels to find the mysterious creature had disappeared once more.

"D'Arvit!" swore Qwan, checking his tracker. It was now glowing in the direction of the hole in the wall of Artemis' room, while steadily growing dimmer. "We'd better get going, or we'll get left behind. I was hoping the water would hold him for longer…"

"You see," said Grub smugly as he stepped towards the door of the shuttle. "If it wasn't for my professionalism, where would you two be, eh?" Artemis smiled.

"Not too badly off, I presume," he replied. "After all, a truly professional LEP officer would never lose his helmet, now would he?"

Grub flushed a bright red, and tried to splutter an excuse. When his brain failed to produce one, the Corporal quickly slipped into the shuttle, muttering under his breath.

"I'll have to tell you about that later," Qwan chuckled, and turned to the Irish prodigy. "Foaly wouldn't approve, but… care to join us, Master Fowl?" he asked.

"It would be a pleasure," replied Artemis, ducking his head as he stepped into the shuttle.

*** * * * ***

**LEP Headquarters, Haven**

Holly was working day and night with a team of specially selected fairies to try and track down the whereabouts of the Opal Koboi from the past. The security at the pixie's prison in Atlantis had been doubled, then doubled again, to make sure the past Opal didn't try to break out the present one.

However, they hadn't had any luck. Opal had completely disappeared, and everything Foaly tried to trace the deranged pixie came up negative. The LEP brass were beginning to give up hope. Although Holly had suggested that they interrogate the Opal in custody to see if she remembered anything of what was to transpire, it had led them nowhere; Opal maintained that she had no memory of ever travelling in the time stream, and Foaly's technology backed her up.

_At least that's one positive out of this whole affair_, thought Holly, leaning back in her chair. _The fact that she can't remember anything probably means that we were successful in the end. But at what cost?_

However, before she could follow that train of thought, the entire building suddenly plunged into darkness.

"What in Frond's name…?" said Holly, standing up. The emergency lights had turned on, giving everything a strange orange glow. She quickly ran past the other confused members of the LEP, and burst into the Control Ops, which Foaly had temporarily taken over. Although the computers were still running, she was shocked to see that there was no sign of her friend.

A moment later, Commander Trouble Kelp rushed into the room.

"Where's Foaly?" he asked Holly, his eyes wide. "Please don't tell me…"

"I don't know," Holly replied, staring at Foaly's modified, empty swivel chair. "He's just… gone!"

"People don't just disappear, damn it," said Trouble, seating himself at Foaly's workstation, and logging on. "Let's see, CCTV cameras…"

"You have cameras in here?" asked Holly, peering at the screens. "What about privacy?"

"Well, ever since Frond's involvement with Sool in his plot, the Council has tightened up security over here," replied Trouble. "Frankly, I'm not… Oh, here it is."

The two elves peered more closely at the screen as the last ten minutes were played before them. Foaly was on screen, typing on his computer, munching on a carrot; nothing out of the ordinary. Then…

"What?" said Holly, pointing at the screen. "Where'd he go?"

"I… No, that's not possible," muttered Trouble. "Wait, let me rewind it…"

The two elves watched in disbelief as the scene was replayed before them: Foaly, carrot in one hand, fingers of the other hand dancing on the keyboard, appeared to completely disappear in an instant. Moments later, the lights were cut off, leaving the room eerily illuminated by his computers, which ran on a separate power source.

"It has to be Koboi," said Holly immediately. "No one else could have done something as... _impossible_ as this."

"I understand where you're coming from, Holly," answered Trouble, still staring at the screen. "But something on this scale would have taken months of planning, even for someone like Opal. No, this must be someone else."

"But who?" cried Holly, pacing the room. "No one above or under the world has the ability to magically teleport someone away in an instant! I'm calling Artemis about this." The moment the words left her mouth, however, she regretted it; her communications with Artemis were still considered illegal. Fortunately, considering the circumstances, Trouble wasn't interested in following regulations.

"Good, we're going to need all the help we can get," said Trouble, taking out his own communicator. "Let's see if Robb can get anything out of this…"

Holly walked out of the room, and down the corridor, quickly bringing up Artemis' communicator. _You better not be busy, Artemis…_

**Control Ops, LEP HQ****  
****A few minutes earlier**

"Come on, come on…" muttered Foaly, as yet another of his searches for Opal came up blank. He took a bite out of his carrot in frustration. _You must be out there somewhere, Opal_, he thought, as he began typing in another set of parameters. _And I am going to find you…_

However, before he could press 'Enter', he felt something on his shoulder, then all of a sudden, his surroundings changed. He was no longer in the Control Ops, but in an elegantly decorated room. It could have been any other room in the world, had it not been for the banks of computers and other equipment lining one of the tables along the wall.

He gasped as he noticed the person standing in front of him.

"No," whispered Foaly weakly. "It can't be…"

The individual only smiled. Then shot the centaur in the chest.

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God, how I love cliffhangers... :-D

Who could the shooter be? Why not speculate in your review?

_Recent "scientific" studies have shown that 60% of the time, writing me a review improves your life, every time.  
Something similar has been said about Sex Panther Cologne, but this is obviously purely coincidental._


	3. Chasing Rainbows

Roll up, roll up for the next chapter! When I was planning this story, this was one of the first very scenes I came up with; I hope you like it!

Summer holidays soon! Japan and Hong Kong, here I come!!

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Chapter 2. – **Chasing Rainbows**

**Fowl Manor**

While Grub was firing up the engines and the shuttle's other various gadgetry, Artemis turned to Qwan to ask him about something that had been bothering him.

"Qwan, about this shuttle," asked Artemis. The warlock looked up from the tracking device in his hand, and nodded for Artemis to continue. "Every time I have been in the time stream, I have been mentally and emotionally battered, and have required immense concentration to keep myself from disintegrating; surely the same will happen here even if we are surrounded by reflective shields?"

"Yes, unfortunately," replied Qwan, sighing. "Of course, it's not nearly as bad as going into the stream without protection – there is no risk of swapping eyes, for example. However, the emotional trauma and the connection between minds is still present, and even though it's slightly weaker, it still has a profound effect on the passengers."

"Could we hurry up back there?" moaned Grub as he took hold of the wheel. "Mummy's baking me a cake for when I get back!" Artemis fastened his seat belt, while Qwan took his position next to Grub in the cockpit. Artemis noted that there was a glowing blue panel with embedded hand-shaped grooves on the dashboard.

"No need to order us about, Grub," said Qwan amusedly, as he placed his hands in the grooves. "Ready?"

"Whenever you are," sniffed Grub. "You know, you should try some of mummy's cake. I…" He was prompted to hurry by a small zap from Qwan, which caused the Corporal to yelp and hurriedly maneuver the shuttle out of the manor.

"Do we know where we are going?" asked Artemis, feeling the first twinges of anxiety.

"Nope!" replied Qwan cheerfully, studying the tracker placed on the panel in front of him.

_Not the answer I was hoping for_, thought Artemis to himself as he struggled to maintain his composure. However, his fear soon turned to wonder when they entered the time stream.

Even though this was now his third trip through the time stream, it still came as a shock. The emotional backlash that came from travelling through time was especially bad in this instance, as they seemed to be travelling through the turmoil caused by the deaths of millions around the world at the same time. He could sense the terror and the cruelty of the people, and could also smell the foul stench of blood and gunpowder.

_What could cause such suffering simultaneously around the world? _wondered Artemis briefly, as he struggled to concentrate on solving his version of the Riemann zeta-hypothesis, as well as adding the finishing touches to his ending of Schubert's unfinished 8th Symphony.

_Ah yes: the Second World War. _

_Utterly barbaric_, he heard Qwan think, as the demon warlock nonchalantly calculated and checked absurdly large prime numbers in his head. He was also providing support for Grub, who couldn't take the emotional barrage he was being put through. _Humans and their wars…Come on Grub, not far now. _

True to his word, they soon popped out of the time stream, and Grub regained control of the shuttle just as they were about to crash into an elegant London home. Gasping, the Corporal slowly piloted the craft down onto the roof, then collapsed back into his seat, and promptly proceeded to bawl his eyes out.

Qwan sighed, and patted the elf on the back.

"It's always like this," the warlock said apologetically to Artemis, who was also recovering from the time stream. "But he's never complained about it, not once. Good on you, eh lad?" Grub sniffled in reply.

Artemis shakily unbuckled his seatbelt, and stood up. "Shall we get going?" he said, trying to maintain his usual brisk and business-like demeanour. "I'm sure we don't want to lose our elusive friend again."

"Oh, we've got a few minutes," replied Qwan, looking at the tracker. The light was pointing diagonally downwards, and was not moving. "Anyway, we need to check where we are first." He clambered past Grub, and joined Artemis at the back of the shuttle, where he fired up one of the workstations. However, it seemed that the old warlock was still unfamiliar with modern-day computers, as Artemis could hear him muttering and swearing under his breath. Not to mention that the demon was excruciatingly slow at typing on the v-board.

Artemis smiled, and tapped Qwan shoulder.

"If I may?" he asked, scarcely hiding his amusement. Qwan stepped aside, muttering something unprintable. The prodigy's fingers soon became a blur in the air, as he sent out scan after scan above and below the shuttle, until he came to the conclusion he had already been half-expecting.

"We are in London during the Second World War," announced Artemis, rubbing his chin in thought. "I'd say around the 10th May, 1940. As for our location, it seems this is the residence of an important political figure, but his identity is still unclear." _Although I have a very good idea_, he thought. _And if I am correct, we will be re-writing history. Or writing it, perhaps. _

Qwan interrupted his train of thought.

"Looks like our boy's moving, so it's time to go," said the warlock, while changing his form. Unlike that of an elf, a demon warlock's arsenal of magical abilities did not include shielding; however, they did have the ability to shape-shift at will, which allowed them to move without the risk of being caught.

Qwan now looked exactly like an old gentleman from wartime Britain, impeccably dressed in a shirt, jacket, waistcoat, pinstriped trousers and polished black shoes; he looked like he could belong in any gentlemen's country club, with a glass of whiskey in hand, chatting with his fellows about the war. Artemis smiled.

"How very appropriate," he said, as he popped open the door of the shuttle. "Care to explain where your knowledge of mid-twentieth century British fashion comes from?"

"Oh, I read up on human history occasionally, when I'm desperately bored," answered Qwan, grinning. "I studied your Winston Churchill; a very fascinating character, to say the least. Did you know that he could lay 60 bricks in an hour?"

"Who cares about bricks?" moaned Grub, stepping out into the London morning air; shielded, of course. "We haven't used them for centuries!"

"He also happened to be Prime Minister of Britain during the Second World War," Artemis pointed out. "He led us to victory, in fact. There is also the small detail that he was in his late sixties at the time…"

"Ok, fine, he was amazing," muttered the Corporal, checking the safety on his Neutrino. "Jeez, Mud Men and their history…"

*** * * * ***

The trio quickly found a way into the house, Qwan showing himself to be much more agile than his form suggested as they clambered through a window and onto a carpeted landing. Artemis checked the time on the antique clock hanging on the wall: 5:15am.

"Come on, this way," whispered Qwan, leading the way, tracker in hand. It seemed to be leading them downstairs. _At least Rainbow's not moving_, thought the warlock. _Yet..._

They cautiously climbed down the stairs, watching out for early-risers and creaking steps. Fortunately, there were none of either, and they reached their destination without much trouble.

"According to this, Rainbow is on the other side of this door," whispered the warlock, pointing at said door. They were at the end of a corridor, where there were no places to hide if someone happened to pop in. They had to move quickly. Artemis was about to point this out, when they heard a shout from inside the room.

The warlock groaned. "We have contact," he muttered, and burst into the room.

The room was in fact a study, overlooking the street below. A bookcase covered an entire wall in the study, its shelves filled with books of various shapes and sizes. And in the centre of the room was a large mahogany desk, books and pieces of paper scattered on and around it in a chaotic fashion.

The cause of this chaos was Rainbow, who was sitting contently on the desk, now a dashing shade of purple. However, the strange creature was not the source of the shout, as it didn't have anything that resembled a mouth; the source was in fact a tall, gaunt man standing before it, his chair knocked over behind him.

The poor man, who had already received the shock of his life when a strange creature before him had suddenly materialized out of thin air and plopped onto his desk, received a further shock when two strangers burst into his room immediately afterwards. Of course, had he seen Grub, it would no doubt have been too much for him to handle at once.

He looked up, and immediately confronted Qwan, the elder of the two strangers. Fortunately for him, Artemis was only mildly irritated.

"Who are you?" he demanded, with more courage than he felt in his aged heart. "And what is…_this_?"

Qwan quickly drew up some magic, making his eyes glow a hypnotic red.

"That's nothing, my friend," said Qwan jovially, his voice layered with the magical _mesmer_. "Your books were knocked off your desk by a particularly strong gust of wind; nothing special, especially not a strange, multi-coloured creature that appeared out of nowhere."

While the warlock was reassuring the old man, Artemis quickly went over to the window and opened it, then returned to the desk, skimming through some of the papers. _Ah_, thought Artemis briefly. _I was correct._ Smiling, he put the chair back on its legs, then went over to Qwan and whispered something into his ear. The warlock paused briefly, his eyes widening; he then cleared his throat, and spoke.

"Viscount Halifax," said Qwan, addressing the man by his proper title. "I think the stress from the current situation is taking its toll on you. Why not take a rest? I suggest calling Mr. Chamberlain to tell him you're not up to taking the position he's offering, and then taking the rest of the day off."

"Yes, of course," muttered the Viscount, absent-mindedly shuffling the papers on his desk, while completely ignoring Rainbow. "Stress… Too much…" He then promptly fell asleep, collapsing into the chair and slumping on his desk. This was they way he would be found a short time later, with no recollection of what had happened apart from a "particularly strong gust of wind".

Qwan turned to the prodigy, his eyebrow raised.

"Did you know this would happen?" asked Qwan incredulously. Artemis nodded, relishing the comfortable feeling that came with being the smartest person in the proverbial room.

"What are you so amazed about?" asked Grub, shimmering into the visible spectrum. "Are you talking about him putting the chair back? That was nice and all, but nothing special…"

Qwan laughed. "No, Grub," he said, grinning. "What we've just done is shape human history into what it's meant to be. Remember our little chat about Winston Churchill back in the shuttle?" Grub nodded, remembering the sixty year-old bricklaying politician they'd briefly talked about.

Artemis then took over the explanation. "Before Mr. Churchill, the Prime Minister of Britain was a man called Neville Chamberlain," said Artemis. "To be frank, his policies weren't appropriate against the threat of our enemies at the time, and so he will be resigning today." The prodigy then gestured towards the sleeping Viscount.

"Lord Halifax here was the most likely candidate to fill the position," Artemis continued. "Chamberlain, the King, and most other politicians wanted Halifax, but it was Churchill who got the job. A good thing, too, because the Viscount would probably have been very similar to his predecessor, making him equally useless."

Grub, who had never been interested in history, whether fairy or human, was struggling to see any connection between what they had just done and Artemis' small lecture.

"Couldn't you just tell me?" asked Grub, clearly frustrated that his brain wasn't providing him with an answer. "I mean, in a nutshell, not the full explanation, 'cause that would probably take _forever_." Artemis sighed, pretending to be disappointed with the Corporal. Qwan was also grinning from ear to ear, and Rainbow, who seemed to sense that it was being neglected, quietly hovered closer to the trio. The warlock kept an eye on the creature, just in case it tried to get away again.

"Very well," said Artemis, running his fingers through his hair. "Put briefly, we made sure that it was Mr. Churchill who became Prime Minister instead of Lord Halifax here, ensuring Britain had a strong leader to lead them against the threat of the Germans, therefore allowing history to run its course. Has that cleared things for you, Corporal?"

Grub nodded vigorously, but he wasn't fooling anyone. Fortunately for him, he was spared further embarrassment when Rainbow suddenly seemed to decide he had had enough of this conversation, and floating up towards the ceiling, went straight through it.

"D'Arvit!" hissed Qwan, bringing out his tracker. "At least he's still in this dimension… Time to go!"

The trio quickly stepped out of the room and ran up the stairs; anyone unlucky enough to pop out now would have woken up several minutes later wondering how they had ended up on the floor, with their hair singed slightly on end.

They climbed back out of the window, and rushed across the roof of the building. Grub briefly fumbled with his wrist computer, bringing the shuttle back into the visible spectrum. However, when Qwan, who had reverted back to his demonic form, clambered into the shuttle, he was in for another shock.

"Oh, gods," he muttered, as he fell back into Artemis, who had been about to climb in behind him. The mastermind was fortunately able to stop himself from falling over, and pushed Qwan back onto his feet. When he himself entered the shuttle, he couldn't help but smile at what he saw.

Rainbow, the mischievous creature that it was, had somehow managed to find and enter the shuttle, and was currently sitting in one of the chairs facing them, its stubby legs swinging above the ground. As Grub clambered in, Rainbow made the slightest of nods, causing the shuttle door to slam shut.

Artemis was now slightly worried, as this was an unexpected sign of aggression from the complacent-looking creature. However, before anyone could say a word, a faint ringing sound suddenly filled the shuttle.

Artemis disbelievingly looked at the ring on his finger; it was the source of the ringing sound, which meant that he was receiving a call.

The prodigy glanced at both Qwan and Grub, who were obviously taken aback, then back down to his ring.

_Does anyone from the 1940s know of me? _wondered Artemis briefly, as he twisted the ring on his finger. _…That must have been the single most absurd question I have ever asked myself. _

He placed the fairy phone to his ear, and was immediately greeted by Holly's calm, soothing tone.

"ARTEMIS!" she screamed, her voice straining. "For Frond's sake, where have you been?! I've been trying to call you for over an hour!"

* * *

For everyone who's wondering what's happened to Foaly, don't worry! All will be revealed soon... Well, not that soon, because I'll be away for two weeks, but soon enough!

_During these trying times, every little helps. Hey, reviews are free! Why not write one right now?_


	4. Sinner

Hello all! Got back from France yesterday after doing a two week cycle ride for charity; tiring, to say the least. It was worth it though, because we're now just short of raising £2000 for Meningitis Research!

Anyway, thanks to the tireless efforts of my beta, Vivian Verbose, chapter 3 is now ready for consumption! Some new characters in this one; needless to say, they are fictional, and any resemblance to people (living or dead) is purely coincidental...

* * *

Chapter 3. – **Sinner**

**Unknown Location  
Ten minutes earlier**

Foaly slowly regained consciousness, groaned and tried to rub his forehead. However, when he found that his hands were tied behind his back, the reality of his situation suddenly hit home.

_I've been kidnapped!_ he screamed, or rather tried to; he was also gagged, so what came out was more of a strangled whinny. He quickly discovered that his legs were also bound, and that he was blindfolded. The centaur shook his head vigorously to try and clear his head; whatever drug he had been shot with, it obviously hadn't completely worn off.

_D'Arvit! _he swore to himself. _How did this happen? Where am I? _

With great effort, he thought back to what he had seen last: he had been about to launch another search probe for Opal from the Control Ops in Police Plaza, his finger hovering just above the 'enter' button, when everything went a brilliant white; then, in what seemed like an instant later, he had somehow appeared here, wherever 'here' actually was.

His train of thought was interrupted when he heard a door slide open. Foaly strained his ears to hear light footsteps pattering across the room, until they came to a stop near where he sat, bound and gagged. Then came a sound that he had been dreading to hear: a giggle.

Foaly couldn't quite place the voice as the blindfold also muffled everything within earshot, but he was fairly certain that whoever this was had a high-pitched, female voice. _Oh no, not her,_ he thought to himself, subconsciously leaning away. _Please Frond, not her…_

His action earned him another giggle, as his unseen kidnapper walked away from him. Foaly sighed in relief, then began to actively struggle in his bonds. However, when he found that this was useless, he decided to save his energy for later, in case he needed it.

Foaly then realized that his captor was talking to someone else in very hushed tones. He couldn't hear the other occupant's replies, but there was definitely someone else; on the other hand, if the centaur's assumption was correct, perhaps it wasn't so strange that the female was talking to herself. He could only make out a few words from the conversation: "...to give me an I.V....doesn't suspect a thing...I'll do it now." Whatever they were talking about, it didn't sound good to the technical genius.

Unfortunately, before he could do anything else, his kidnapper was soon back at his side, and he felt a hand grab his hairy arm. This further confirmed his suspicions: it was a small, delicate hand, but with a surprisingly strong grip. But when he felt a wet cloth being rubbed on his arm, he began to struggle more vigorously in his bonds, trying to shake her off.

"Ow!" he mumbled through his gag, as he felt a sudden sharp pain in his limb. The needle entered a few inches into his arm, and a few seconds later, his urge to resist began to abruptly ebb away. Foaly instantly realized what he had just been injected with, and just as quickly realized that he could do nothing to fight it.

The drug was called Obsequium, which was Latin for 'submission', and it did exactly what its name suggested: it made the subject submit to the orders of anyone who cared to issue them. The drug attacked the dopamine-sensitive neurons of the frontal lobe in the brain, the function of which involves maintaining the drive to perform an action, recognizing the future consequences of those actions, and defining the actions that are good and acceptable as well as those that are not. This subsequently made the victim susceptible to following any instructions given, without any hesitation and without considering the consequences, making it an incredibly powerful and dangerous sedative. Unsurprisingly, the substance had been banned for several centuries under the Atlantis Convention (but not before being thoroughly misused by police officers and criminals alike), although Foaly knew that it was still available on the black market to the highest bidders.

As his body relaxed, slumping against the floor, his captor untied his bonds, then took off his gag. The centaur sighed happily in his drug-induced state (the drug also included a large dose of endorphins), relieved to be free again, and wondered what to do next.

_Maybe she can tell me, _he thought, as he felt the blindfold being lifted from his eyes. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he could hear some irritating shouting, with ludicrous claims that she was dangerous, but he decided to fade that out; no need to get all paranoid.

He looked around, discovering that he was still in the room where he had been shot after being taken from Control Ops. While the room seemed totally unremarkable, upon closer inspection Foaly noticed that there was no natural light due to a lack of windows, and that some of the workstations seemed to be running programs in Gnommish. However, none of these observations bothered the centaur in the slightest, as he simply looked at the computers lined up against the wall and smiled; that was probably what he had been brought here for.

When Foaly finally turned to look upon the face of his kidnapper, in his tranquil state of mind, he couldn't help but burst out laughing.

_Oh, they're not going to be happy with this, _though Foaly to himself, grinning. _Not one bit!_

His captor, as if reading his mind, only smiled and led him over to the workstations. She was also pushing along an I.V. drip along on a stand, the needle of which was still in Foaly's arm.

"This is where we will be working," she said. "I will write the programs, and you will execute them where and when I tell you to. Understand?" Foaly nodded, his eyes scrolling through the Gnommish displayed on the screen. He then glanced over to another computer to his right, which was showing a live video feed of what seemed to be a holding cell. The centaur's eyes widened as he saw the sole occupant, then after a brief pause, laughed again. This situation was becoming more absurd by the second.

*** * * * ***

**The Blades Club  
Central London, England  
Several days earlier**

The Blades Club, located in Park Street, Mayfair, was where some of the wealthiest and most powerful men in Britain went to lunch, dine, and play card games; high stakes, of course. However, on this particular afternoon, the group of men gathered in the 18th century town house had not come together for a game of poker, but to discuss the future of the nation. Unfortunately for the people of Britain, the loyalties of these men did not lie with Queen and Country but with the accumulation of wealth and power, and with the disposal of those who got in their way.

Collectively, they formed the Round Table Club, a group of knighted men (and no women; sexism was still alive and well in the Club) whose sole interest was in themselves. But even in their quest for selfish gain, they knew they occasionally needed help from other powerful men, and so under the guidance of none other than the Director-General of the Security Service, known more commonly as MI5, this Club was formed at the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Thanks to its influential members (which included high-level politicians, media moguls, CEOs, high-ranking staff from all areas of the military, and, of course, the chief of MI5), the Club had been meeting at Blades without incident for twenty years, using its guiding hand in innumerable areas of public consciousness, while nonchalantly enjoying the celebrated gourmet catering Lord Basildon (the Chairman of Blades, who received his title relatively soon after allowing the Round Table to meet privately at his Club) had to offer.

Two men in their late fifties sat back and watched as their colleagues discussed personal matters around the circular mahogany table, negotiating favours and fees on a scale usually unthinkable during such troubled economic times; on the other hand, prior knowledge does tend to help avoid the worst of catastrophes such as these, with the prospect of watching rival businesses being swept away an additional bonus.

"Twenty years, Robert," muttered Harry Evans, a stockily built man with thinning hair, as he sipped his whiskey. "Twenty long years of manipulation and monetary gain, and we're still going strong. Unbelievable. I suppose we have you to thank for that."

"Perhaps, my friend, but I'm sure I am not the only one who deserves credit," answered Robert Sind, a man much taller and more gaunt-looking than his friend. He smiled easily as he adjusted his cuff links. "After all, the Club will keep going long after both of us have left. That's how it works, just like your predecessor set it up to be."

The man settled back in his leather armchair, and glanced towards his somber-looking friend. "I hope you're not getting sentimental on us, Harry," he commented, as he turned and noticed the Club's newest members, a trio of high-profile politicians who were currently discussing their financial futures with one of the Club's bankers. "We know better than anyone that one's time to retire will come; we just have the luxury of choosing our moment, when it suits us." Harry grinned, then, having raised his glass towards his friend, downed the rest of its contents in a single gulp.

These two men were no ordinary members of society; after all, being part of the Round Table Club singled you out as a man of exceptional wealth and greed. However, not only were they members of the Club, but were also considered to be two of the most powerful and influential men within its ranks. One of the men, Sir Harry Evans, was the current Director General of MI5, and had taken over duties as Chairman of the Club after his predecessor gracefully retired to a life of luxury abroad.

The other was Sir Robert Sind, owner and Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Telegraph, and now the longest-serving member of the Club. Initially joining the club as the owner of several tabloid newspapers, he had then decided to increase his respectability and influence by selling his interest in the tabloid papers and procuring the highest selling broadsheet newspaper in Britain. A decade or so on, Sind now controlled the content of the Telegraph with an iron fist, taking care to alter or even filter out any stories that were harmful to the reputations of his fellow Club members. Of course, there were other notable newspapers that were read across the country, but Sind kept tabs on most of them, either bribing or blackmailing them into complying with his demands. Even the majority of his own journalists harboured doubts about the extent of their employer's control over the paper, but decided to keep their doubts to themselves and just get on with their lives; it just wasn't worth the risk, and there were plenty of rumours around that seemed to confirm their judgments.

While Evans was not a particularly nasty individual (he was in charge of British national security, after all), Sind's ruthlessness and deceptiveness was unparalleled in his line of work. Or in any line of work, for that matter. To keep ahead of his competitors, as well as to use sources from within the Round Table Club, he was on a first-name basis with contacts from all over the world, ranging in credibility from security services such as the CIA and the FSB down to mob bosses from organisations such as the Mafia and 14K. He was also not above using morally questionable methods in acquiring stories, forcing confessions and statements from hapless sources, and even making particularly irksome individuals that threatened to jeopardise Sind's interests "disappear" off the face of the Earth.

Of course, no one in the general public knew of this; Sind had always been careful in keeping his less commendable exploits hidden under a reputation of respectability and humanitarianism, using all the methods at his disposal to further reinforce the façade, including pouring millions of pounds into several charities. This deception had worked so well that not even his wife or children suspected him of nearly three decades of wrongdoings.

Having ensured that Harry's drink had been refilled, Sind decided to get down to business.

"Now Harry, I have a favour to ask of you," said the mogul, as he drew a notebook from his jacket pocket.

"Of course," replied Evans. "Lord knows I'm already indebted to you several times over." Sind smiled and continued.

"I need you to make a call to your people and also your counter-part in Six (1), to allow this man free entry into the United Kingdom." Having found the relevant page, Sind tore it out of his notebook and handed it to his friend. Harry took out a pair of reading glasses and carefully read the name.

"Who is he?" he asked, glancing towards Sind. "And what will he be doing here?"

"Oh, he's just a low-level criminal. Or terrorist, in the eyes of some," replied Sind, chuckling. "Nothing to worry about, especially since he's only coming into England to get supplies. His actual work will take place in Dublin." The Director-General frowned.

"I can't guarantee his safety in Ireland, although I presume you already knew that," commented Harry, taking out his phone. He quickly sent off several messages. "Will he be doing anything particularly…flamboyant?"

Sind laughed; it was a very ordinary laugh and seemed out of place coming from the mogul's unusually thin lips.

"Oh yes," answered Sind, taking out his own mobile phone and dialing in a number. "I certainly hope so."

Sind motioned to his friend to keep drinking, while his phone continued to ring. Finally, someone on the other end picked up.

"Anthony. Yes, it's me," muttered Sind, a look of distaste on his face, but hiding it from his voice. "Yes, your man now has free entry. I trust you have relayed my instructions to him? …Good, good. I look forward to hearing the good news soon. Goodbye." He sighed, pocketing his phone.

"Trouble at the office?" asked Evans light-heartedly. Sind smiled back, although it was slightly forced.

"Just an unpleasant associate," replied the Sind, picking up his drink. "Now, let us forget about business for a while, eh? To the Club." Evans echoed his friend's toast, and they clinked glasses.

*** * * * ***

**Unknown Location  
Present Time**

Foaly had just sent a bug into the Haven system, designed to trip the Emergency Systems. For him, this was ridiculously easy, as he was the one who had designed the system in the first place. He was only mildly surprised that his captor and now co-hacker had asked him to launch the bug; after all, if she had such an extensive knowledge of the system, why not send the bug herself?

They both watched camera feeds across the city as the lockdown was initiated: the emergency gates shut the city off from the rest of the world, and normal lighting was replaced by the orange emergency variety. All around the city, fairies were abandoning their now useless vehicles, and some were already crowding around Police Plaza, demanding an explanation.

"That's it, little fairies, panic," Foaly heard his kidnapper mutter. "Panic, because soon your world will no longer be safe from the humans." She then turned to the technical genius.

"Foaly," she said, acquiring his full attention. "How are the LEP doing? Are they as efficient as they claim to be?"

"It would seem so," replied Foaly, checking the video feed from Police Plaza. Commander Trouble Kelp seemed to be handling the situation with an impressive calm, coordinating efforts to keep order in the city while implementing the standard procedure during a confirmed attack on Haven: a large-scale evacuation of civilians out of the city and to other underground cities such as Atlantis. Along with the bug, Foaly had also sent an incredibly realistic simulation of an assault by humans on the underground city, which latched onto all surveillance equipment in LEP HQ, effectively confirming the lockdown for anyone who looked at their screens.

"The shuttles are being loaded," commented the centaur, much to his captor's delight. "What do you want me to do?"

"We bring them up," she replied, sneering. "Right after we send them a little message…"

* * *

(1): The Secret Intelligence Service, or MI6.

OK, I think we all agree that it's time to stop with these cliffhangers and make stuff happen. Funnily enough, that's exactly what happens in the next chapter! Unfortunately for the People, however, none of it is good...

_ School in about a week... I need some cheering up, so please leave a review!  
It seems I've been falling behind on the replying front, which I promise to remedy soon... _


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